Oleander
by infractus monumentum
Summary: So... You've had that dream, too' 'Shut up, Dante.' [DSOCVS] [viceversa] [AU]
1. Dante Awakening

**Oleander**

**A DMC Fanfic**

**Authoress: Illicit Memory**

**DSOCVS**

-

I deleted Body and Soul – I couldn't think of where I was going next. Three chapters in, and I had already created such an exorbitant Mary-Sue that I disgusted myself. Selae's not supposed to be a Mary-Sue: but since I never told anyone but my roleplaying buddies her origins, her position immediately was as one. So this will be her introduction, and maybe I'll rewrite Body and Soul one day.

-

Chapter 1: Dante (Awakening)

-

-

"_Dante! Run, Dante! Run!" His mother's voice, calling out to him. Her hand, outstretched for an infinite moment – then the blood that splashed into the air. Her hand fell, her body falling with it._

_He and Vergil hid underneath boxes nearby – but they saw everything. They saw the demons that had killed the only person they had. The only protector they would ever know. The only link to a father who no longer existed. But what he remembered the most was the blood. _

_It was everywhere. In her hair_ the blond was red, so red, so **red**,_ it was on her clothes _they stuck to her as a second skin _he could smell the blood it was horrible horrible this wasn't his mother it couldn't be his mother his mother was alive, she was alive, she was warm this was cold so cold he couldn't take it he couldn't it wasn't no this was_-

-

"Ah!" With the faintest cry of surprise, Dante Sparda awoke. Sitting up, he ran a hand through the mess of white hair that fell in his face. "Damn." With narrowed eyes, he took in the state of his body – sweat glistened on his bare chest, and the blanket someone (Enzo, probably) had thrown over him was balled around his feet: apparently he had been tossing and turning during his nightmare. _Fuck._

With a groan that was a mixture of a hangover and a lack of sleep, he stood – rubbing a hand quickly across his eyes. _What the hell __**was**__ that? I haven't dreamt about Mom since I was a fucking __**kid.**_ Exactly. When he was being shuffled through orphanage after orphanage – foster home upon foster home: he had the same nightmare until he turned sixteen and ran away.

It's return stirred up some unwelcome memories – for instance, his twin: who for all he knew was dead right now. The twin who hated him – because Eva's last words had been calling to **Dante**, though both of the children had been in her sight. Through the four years of foster hell, he hadn't seen his brother once – and whenever he tried to get word to him, his letters came back unopened.

Another sound of disgust escaped the coral lips of the demon-hunter, and he turned – heading towards the back so he could take a shower.

Suddenly, the doors slammed open – revealing the pitch black darkness of the outside world: it was either late at night, or early in the morning.

"Hey, Dante! What'd shoo fall asleeeeeep fer?" Poor Enzo. Actually, Dante rather thought the other man was adorable the way he slurred his words like a small child when he was this **horribly drunk**. But of course, he'd never admit it – even though he thought he might have once, when he was drunk himself: the word 'cute' may have even come into play.

"Because I'm not the one who sat on my ass all day – if you remember, I had a job to do. I'm the one paying for the booze and the _babes_, remember?" A small grin graced the half-demon's lips.

"Ohhh." The chubby Italian man looked angelically quizzical for a moment, before shrugging and tottering forward to fall onto the couch Dante had just vacated. Almost immediately, loud snores erupted from his drooling mouth.

"…" Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Dante simply turned and entered the room he was heading for – the bathroom. Moving the door open with a nudge of his hip, he stretched and moved towards the shower, which he turned on to the hottest setting available. With slow movements, her unbuttoned his pants, and slid them off – his underwear following soon after. Seeing as that is all he was wearing, he pulled the shower curtain to the side and entered, letting the heat instantly diffuse his body's tension.

_Why now? Why would that dream come back now – of all times?_

_Is it being triggered by the demons?_ Indeed, there had been a huge rise in the number of demons appearing lately. He had been coming home night after night tired and bloody from the sheer number of them – though most of them were weak. And there had been more human casualties too: though most people blamed it on animal attacks, Dante and Enzo knew better.

"Damn it." Repeating a phrase he had used earlier, he rinsed out his hair and off his body – he had washed as his thoughts ran away with him. Turning off the water, he stepped out of the shower, drying off quickly with a white towel that hung near him. Looking into the foggy mirror, he sighed. Pulling on his boxers and pants, he exited the bathroom – heading into the living room/office area he had previously been in. Enzo remained on the couch, snoring more softly now.

Tossing a blanket over the other man quickly, Dante then grabbed his coat – throwing it on over his bare chest. _I'll be damned if I'm going to sit here and bother myself with that shit all day. I'm gonna go party._ Smirking to himself, he exited the front doors of the office, locking them behind him. Then he headed off down the street towards his favorite local establishment – Love Planet. Nothing got rid of bad dreams better than gyrating female bodies and loads of alcohol. Atleast, not for him, anyways.

--


	2. Vergil Awakening

**Oleander**

-

Chapter 2: Vergil (Awakening)

(Okay – at first, I was going to make this follow DMC3 pretty closely, and then I'm like 'Damn, Sam, you're gonna fail miserably if you try.' So… I'm not going to. You'll live. –smiles.-)

_She had been calling to his brother – he had meant nothing to her. He remembered it all so well; it was ceasing to be a nightmare and more like fuel for the fire. He had huddled with Dante beneath those boxes and watched as his mother was slaughtered, and he remembered mostly that he was envious of their power – he wasn't that strong. Why would Dante grow up with half of everything? He didn't deserve anything of their father's, he already had their mother: wasn't this supposed to be fair?_

Icy hues flickered open. He didn't want that dream… And then he had the weirdest feeling he was forgetting something. That annoyed him.

His eyes already narrow and threatening – even though he had just awoken – he rolled over in his bed, throwing the sheets off of his body. During the night they had tangled around him, presumably from the nightmare he had just experienced. Weakness like that always succeeded at pissing him off. Especially weakness stemming from the cumbersome human emotions he had been burdened with at birth. He didn't want them – and he constantly showed his displeasure that he had no choice whether or not he got to keep them.

Rising to his feet, he pulled the shirt he was wearing over his head, and tossed it onto the bed. Now clothed solely in baggy black pants, he moved towards his closet.

He had just bought this apartment, using money given to him by his boss – a man named Arkham. This man owned a bookstore that specialized in supernatural lore, one that Vergil had frequented before being offered a position – which he accepted, as he needed the money anyways. So now he sold books and often stacked the shelves: and he also acted as a bodyguard, easily disposing of any would-be criminals. The pay was substantial – but Vergil didn't question where his benefactor got his money, though he knew it wawn't from the selling of books: not very many people entered the store, and those who did were often too afraid to buy anything from the exquisitely beautiful but rather frightening being who manned the register.

As he crossed his floor, Vergil pushed the hair out of his face, forcing it back into it's normal, raised position. As he did this, he noticed the cold sweat that beaded his forehead, and wiped it away with a violent gesture.

_Damn you mother, why won't you stay dead and buried – get out of my memories._

He ripped open the closet door – nearly pulling it from the tracks as it slid violently to the left. Reaching in, he grabbed a navy T-shirt, and dark denim pants. Pulling on the shirt, he tossed the pants on top of the shirt he had vacated a few minutes prior, and he reached down to unbutton the jeans he already wore. Kicking them off once they were loose, he once again lifted the new pair of jeans, and pulled them on, buttoning them as he headed for the bathroom.

He didn't glance at the mirror even once as he splashed water on his face – trying to remove the faint traces of sleep from his mind. As usual, it didn't work – but then again, he rarely slept: so he was always tired to some degree. Being only half-human had its perks, though – he didn't really require sleep, it was just a luxury. One he was _used_ to enjoying. _Until something sparked this idiotic nightmare run._

Then his mind clicked onto something – he didn't feel like staying home. He didn't have to be at work until 11:00 that evening, though – and a quick glance at a clock as he left the bathroom showed him it was 6:00 in the morning.

_Music soothes the savage… whatever the hell I am. And right now, I feel like being savage._ He would club – it's what he normally did. He knew most of the proprieters of nightclubs, and he knew of at least three clubs that functioned underground – literally, so as to not have to shut their doors when the outside grew light.

_Love Planet it is, then…_ The strip joint had a basement, where the owner had a 24/7 rave going. It was the perfect place to drown out the memories in his head: the double dose of grinding hard rock from the club and the thumping bass of the strip music was enough for anyone to forget their sorrows – who could think when all you saw was light flashes and the occasional human face? Who could even begin to comprehend their thoughts when heavy guitar riffs destroyed all other words in your head?

"…I can." With a rueful little smile, he slid his feet into a dingy pair of canvas sneakers, not bothering to tie the faded laces as he exited his apartment – locking the door behind him. He be damned if he wasn't going to try anyways.

--

**A/N:** Haha, Dante and Vergil are heading to Love Planet. :)

Next chapter:

_When Dante and Vergil meet, sparks fly. But when demons attack, they have to join together to destroy the attackers before too many people are killed. But they're not the only ones who aren't running from the chaos – a young woman is putting up a decent fight. But before they can question her, she disappears. What the hell?_


	3. Viva Le Deja Vu

**Oleander**

Chapter 3: Viva Le Deja Vu

-- I do NOT own DMC. If I did… It'd be just as amazing. BUT! DMC 2 wouldn't exist. At least – not like it did.

(Dante and Vergil are currently 24.)

As Dante neared his destination, his body visibly relaxed. _I'm not going to think about all that shit right now._

"Well, damn." A woman's voice carried to him, and he looked up to see a gorgeous young woman staring at him. Ebony eyes bore into his sapphire ones with a startling intensity – though screaming red hair that fell to her waist caused his eyes to pull away once. She had tan skin which was barely covered in a white bathing suit top, and a mini-skirt of the same color: through which he could see that she was wearing no underwear. Gladiator sandals – white as well – finished off her ensemble with aplomb.

"I can say the same for you," he replied, "gorgeous." This was just like most every other night – he would show up, and some woman (whoever was the bravest: he had _quite_ the reputation with the street ladies) would claim him for the evening. But, tonight – he didn't quite feel like the aftermath of this: the night spent in his bedroom.

"Thanks." This woman was completely sure of herself – she knew she was gorgeous and she exploited it to the fullest extent possible. With sultry movements - swaying her hips just the right way, to promote the eyes to go towards the exact spots she wanted them to – she made her way to Dante, and stopped directly in front of him.

He smelled cigarettes, liquor, and the intoxicating scent of sex. Warmth pooled in his stomach, but then he gave a wry smile – shaking his head ever-so-slightly. "Not tonight, though, babe." He made his was around her, laughing inwardly at the mock-hurt expression she wore. "Don't take it personally."

Still wearing a slightly miffed expression, the woman shrugged – continuing on her way.

Dante slid into the club behind her, tossing a nod at the bouncer – they all knew him here. Dante was the type of guy a club owner loved – he made plenty of money in sporadic periods, and normally blew it all funding the strippers' wages. So he was treated like royalty. Hell, he even got around the 'no shirt, no shoes, no service' rule!

Now sporting a small grin, Dante claimed a small curved couch near the catwalk, waiting for the next performance to start. _Tonight is already getting' good._

-

Vergil's hands were shoved deep in his pockets; a warning sign for any of the curious women he knew frequented the outside of Love Planet. He preferred not to get any diseases – even if he didn't think he could really contract any. Better safe than sorry. Besides – his choice in partners was mainly the upper-class women who weren't going to beg him to stay around the next morning: he had even had a girlfriend once, but couldn't stand the clinginess of most females.

Long strides brought him where he wanted to go, and he could feel the ground thumping slightly – as if the street had a heartbeat the speed of your typical junkie's. Techno tonight – the past week it had mostly been a jarring brand of hip-hop and hardcore he hadn't enjoyed much.

"Dante?"

The mention of his brother's name snapped him out of his trance, and he looked up to see a barely-dressed woman with distractingly red hair – attached to a dark-skinned male. She was slightly drunk, the smell of alcohol coming off of both her and the man she was with. The sudden glare shot at her caused her to cringe slightly. "Sorry – I, I thought you were…" She trailed off, realizing that the man before her wasn't listening.

Vergil walked right by her – acting as if she didn't exist. That made his day – now he knew that his brother was nearby (note sarcasm). Judging by the woman's appearances, he was probably inside the strip club. This caused him to pause for a moment. He avoided his twin as much as inhumanly possibly – and that was very, very much. And he did it so well he was rather sure that his dear brother didn't even know they lived in the same city. "…Damn it." He continued walking – he wanted to drown his mind out, and the strip club's underbelly was the only place that did it to any sort of useful degree.

In about two minutes he slipped into the club – the bouncer nodding at him with a curious look in his eye: _hadn't he just seen him enter about ten minutes ago?... In different clothes?_ Vergil never once question his heightened status with the owner and security of Love Planet – for some reason, he was never charged cover, and anything he drank was put on a tab that never had to be paid.

As he made his way to the back, he searched for his brother – and eventually spotted him leering at another barely dressed woman who was currently straddling a pole in front of the half-demon's face.

His eyes narrowing to show his disgust, Vergil made sure to avoid Dante's available line of sight as he walked towards the stairs. And then… he was safe – heading down the stairs quickly. A push to the doors, and pulsing music, strobe lights, and dancing bodies flooded his senses. He immediately joined the throng – pushing his way through to his usual position: a table in the back corner, alone. He sat on the cushioned bench and leaned back, closing his eyes – no thought was able to cloud his mind. And _damn_, it was a good feeling.

-

They had both been there about an hour when the first screams sounded. Demons began to pour out of the back room of the ground floor – effectively cornering the patrons of the underground club – and the ladies who were still in dressing rooms.

There was mass panic – bodies threw themselves about – not knowing exactly what was happening. Vergil forced his way through the cluster of terrified bodies, heading towards the stairs – as above him, Dante grinned and fought off the attacks of a few small demons that decided he looked like easy prey.

The irony of it all was the moment that Dante pulled out a gun – that was what the humans focused on : they feared him and his gun – because most of them couldn't comprehend the creatures that in all actuality posed a much greater threat.

Ignoring the fact that they were afraid of _him_, Dante blew out the brains… er, dust… of a few demons before he sensed the presence of someone next to him.

"Brother." Vergil spoke – almost too quiet to be heard. His voice was cold steel.

"…Vergil?!" The shock of seeing his twin nearly caused his voice to break embarrassingly.

"…There are demons – idiot. Fight them."

Indeed, a trio of larger demons threw themselves at Dante – nearly impaling him with their scythes before he could react.

At his back, Vergil unsheathed Yamato – which he had cleverly hidden in the back of his shirt – the hilt resting between his shoulder blades and the tip of the blade itself resting just at the hollow where his spine met his pelvis.

Both brothers spent ten minutes – occupied entirely by the creatures attacking them – and not getting in each other's way.

When it was calm in the building – the humans had all run off or been killed – the two faced each other. Vergil's eyes were exanimate – his gaze dead and calm. Dante's blue oculars had a tortured expression in them – this was the first time he had seen his brother in almost ten years.

"…Verge… What-"

"Shut up." Vergil turned away – heading towards the door.

"You've been living here this whole time?!" Dante's voice sounded lost – pained.

"You already knew that – don't lie to yourself."

He was right – Dante could feel his brother's presence: was he just afraid to find him? Afraid that it would turn out sort of like this?

"Why are you here?"

"I was clearing my head. Are you done with the questions, _dear brother_? I've got more important things to deal with at the moment." _Like asking Arkham why more demons are pouring through. He has something to do with this, alright…._

"You've been having that dream too?" Something in Dante's head clicked – they were both experiencing the same phenomenon – he was almost sure his brother hadn't had that dream in years as well.

"Shut up, Dante."

Suddenly, more screams came from outside.

Both men ran for the door – slamming out just in time to see the hooker that had mistaken Vergil for Dante get stabbed through the chest by a large, black-cloaked demon with a huge scythe. (The first mini-boss in DMC 3 – the one right outside Dante's shop.)

Out of nowhere – a flash of silver appeared, embedding itself in the demon's back in the form of a small knife.

It roared – turning instantly to look up at a woman standing on a rooftop above them.

"Come on, big, dark, and ugly!" She grinned.

Ebony tresses were held up in a ponytail – which still fell to her waist. Viridian hues were ringed with dark eyeliner – black like the skintight strapless top that covered her chest. Navy pants clung to her body – the bottoms of them disappearing into knee-high black combat boots. In her hands were two blades – both crescent shaped. The one in her left hand was silver – a perfect crescent. The right one was black – and it's outer edge was violently jagged, but it still retained the quarter moon shape in generality.

_Serenity and Chaos…_ The thought sprang unbidden into both men's minds – and their eyes met in startled curiosity.

The scythe-bearing creature screeched – and launched itself into the air at the woman.

Laughter bubbled from behind her lips – and she jumped forward as well, meeting the demon halfway. A loud clang sounded as their weapons met – the woman gaining the upper hand and pushing down on the demon – forcing it to the ground. The moment before impact a dark portal appeared beneath it, saving it from collision. With a loud curse, she caught the fall with the darker crescent blade, and flipped in the air – pulling the metal from the ground as she righted herself.

The demon's portal opened in the air directly in front of the twins, spurring them into action. Dante leapt to the right, guns blazing – while Vergil jumped backwards, narrowly missing the demon's scythe as it sliced the air before him.

"Watch out, you i-

-

_-diots!" She yelled – swerving her bike at the last moment so as to miss the twins, who were walking home from school. _

"_You watch it!" Dante flicked her off – for a ten-year-old, he was rather vulgar. _

_Vergil muttered something incomprehensible, shaking his head at his brother._

_Her sudden change in direction caused her to hit a tree – flinging her from her bike and sending her tumbling into the grass slightly ahead of them._

_Dante immediately doubled over in a fit of laughter, while Vergil moved quickly to her, offering her a hand which was swatted away irately. "I don't need your help."_

"_Are you okay?" His voice was soft – before everything had happened, he was such a sweet child._

"_I'm __**fine**__." She snarled. Pushing herself to her feet – she marched over to the now-only-slightly-chuckling Dante, who smirked at her. "You have a problem?"_

"_Your __**amazing**__ bike skills." _

"_Jerk." She pulled back a fist to hit him – but stopped. "…Not worth my time." She turned – returning to her bike and leaving the twins without another word. _

"_I love you too-_

-

-…Selae." Dante was reeling – he knew her: they both did. How the hell?...

The demon was after her again – and she was fending it off with well-timed blows: but the mention of her name caused her to look at him, intense shock registering on her features. The scythe-bearer took this time to slam her through a wall.

"Dante – she's going to-

-

_-get killed!" Vergil screamed at his brother, watching helplessly as demons attacked his mother and the thirteen-year-old girl defending her._

"_Eva – get out of here!" Selae was urging the human woman to leave – but she refused: she wanted to make sure her sons got the time they needed to escape._

"_Dante! Dante, run!" She couldn't see both children: Vergil didn't know it, but a box closer to her than he blocked her view of him. All she saw was Dante – and even through the pain, she cared more about his safety than her own._

"_Eva! Run with them!" The only weapon she had was Rebellion – and it was far too bulky for her frame. She was beginning to get exhausted._

"_Dante!" Her last cry. A demon had run her through – and the blood was running now, the life left her eyes._

"_EVA!" Selae's scream came with a blinding light – both boys were knocked unconscious._

-

Vergil snarled – jumping forward with Yamato at the ready – slicing into the back of the demon before him.

In the rubble of the wall – Selae stirred. With a groan, she got to her feet – still clutching her weapons.

Dante pulled Rebellion from it's sheath – holstering Ebony and Ivory in the same movement. With uncanny speed – he moved forward, hitting the exact same spot his brother just had – effectively cutting the creature in two. With a scream – it fell into dust.

At the same time, both turned to where the woman had been thrown into a wall. She was gone.

-

"Damn." Her voice was soft – as she stood on the roof of a building far from them. Turning, she jumped down into an alleyway – disappearing into the darkness of the city.

-

"She…" Dante was at a loss. He and his brother stood in front of his office now – staring blankly at each other.

"We knew her." Vergil was just as confused as his twin. "Before Mother…"

"She was there. If she was there – why wasn't she with us? Is she our sister or something?"

"We don't have a sister. You know that. All of the texts say the 'two sons of Sparda'."

"Texts? What the hell are you – some sort of immortal bookkeeper?" Dante scoffed.

"At least I can read." Vergil hissed. "She's not our sister – that much is for sure. What she is though… I don't remember."

"Me either."

"She's not human." The stunning clarity of that statement astounded Vergil. For some reason – he just knew she wasn't human. But he had the feeling he never had known exactly what she was.

"Obviously." He was just being a smartass. "Did we get the same-"

"Annoying flashbacks? Yes."

"… You should really stop that. It annoyed me when we were kids – it's just as bad now."

"…Stop doing what?"

"Finishing my sentences. I can talk too, you know."

"But you have a startling lack of common sense – I've always just been prepared to head off whatever stupid tangent you work yourself into."

"…" Suddenly Dante focused on his brother. "Are we…"

"No." Vergil's eyes came into sharp focus as well – as if something had been blocking his vision before. "We're not." He turned – and began to walk away.

"…" With a frown that was a mix of disappointment and anger, Dante turned and headed into his office. "Damn it."

-

Neither of them slept that night.

-

A/N: Hahaaaa. Well, there it was. Why isn't anyone reviewing? I'm pretty sure this is better than Body and Soul – and I'd like some reviews to either prove me right or tell me I'm wrong.

Please?

Oh, and to clear some things up – Dante and Vergil are fourteen when their mother dies. I don't know if that's correct in the actual series, but here it is. Which means four years of foster care (until they're 18), and then the other six years until now.

Selae is one year younger than them, and italics are flashbacks.

Preview:

_The demon attacks are growing heavier – and are becoming centralized: drawn to something. Is someone in control here – or are these outbreaks growing because of the demons' own initiative? Mix that with the fact that Dante and Vergil have both been getting the same dreams again, and you get twin half-demons who are out for some answers. Or, particularly –two answers: Who the hell is Selae, and can't they remember?_


End file.
